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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. field — farmland
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. march — music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. march — the month
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. field — a subject
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mark — a trace
  15. march — the month
  16. chair — a leader
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. field — for sport
  22. mark — a grade
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. chair — a professorship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com